The Book Thief and a Jewish Fist Fighter
by LiteratureFreak123
Summary: *My take on how "The Book Thief" should have ended* It's been years since Death last saw Liesel. He decides to catch up with her, simply to observe. He came at a good time because a strange man with hair like feathers walked into the bookstore Liesel now works at, and is in desperate need of a word shaker.
1. Chapter 1

**My take on how **_**The Book Thief**_** should have ended.**

I'm in most places at least once, and in during WWII, I was in most places at once. Once I have taken a soul, I try to move on. However, I was unable to steal the souls of Himmel Street and then just simply move on. Not only has the Book Thief's story haunted me years before the bombing of Himmel Street, but her story afterwards has continued to haunt me.

***** A LITTLE SMALL FACT *****

**The Book Thief died yesterday.**

It would be years after the Himmel Street bombing before I would catch up with Liesel, but I can promise you, I did not take her soul-yet. I was curious to see where she was now, how she was living her life after being adopted by Ilsa Hermann. Come with me and I'll finish the Book Thief's story. I'll show you something remarkable.

. . .

For years Liesel had a series of nightmares. In her deep slumber, she would forever dream about the first time there was a bomb warning at Himmel. She could hear the bombs falling from the sky. The siren. The explosions. The crying. Definitely the crying. And then she would begin to hear Hans Hubermann playing his accordion. Ah, Hans and his sweet, sweet music. The notes floated in the air and then disappeared, only to be replaced by newer, better notes. It was the calm before the storm-and what a terrifying storm it was.

Max.

Max was still downstairs in the Hubermann basement, down where it was said to be unsafe. Liesel cried for Max, never knowing if when she came back he would still be there. She cried because she could not tell Rudy, her best friend, about her hidden friend.

Next she would dream about watching the Jews walk through Himmel. She would watch for Max. Never knowing if he was dead. Never knowing if he was alive.

Then she would dream about a Jewish fist fighter being beaten to death by Hitler. She would watch helplessly by the sidelines as everyone around her-Rudy, Hans, Rosa, Tommy, Ilsa, and even Frau Holtzapfel-laughed as the Fuhrer beat the Jewish fist fighter to a bloody pulp. No matter how hard she tried, Liesel could not scream. She couldn't. It was as if her vocal cords had been cut.

Finally, her last dream was more than just a memory. It was the mark of an end of a life. The end of Liesel's life on Himmel. She saw the bodies of everyone she knew and loved, and even some people she didn't know and didn't love. She saw herself leaning over Rudy Steiner's body, crying, and trying but to no avail to resurrect her best friend.

Every night Liesel Meminger would wake up crying and screaming until Alex Steiner came in to comfort her. Alex was grateful that Liesel survived. Her survival was a blessing. She was his last connection to Himmel Street and the life he would never see again. Liesel would come and visit him on the weekends. They couldn't stay away from each other. Their relationship was never sexual. It was more than that. It was family.

When Liesel wasn't having nightmares, she was enjoying her life. Things for her weren't terrible. She had a job at a bookstore, she had her own apartment, she was studying to be an English teacher at the university, but there was something missing. Max.

The year was 1953.

She spent years after the war searching for him. She never knew if he survived or not. Until one day a stranger came into the bookstore looking for a word shaker.


	2. Chapter 2

*****A LITTLE SCENERY*****

**The weather grew cold. **

**The wind began to shake nearby buildings.**

**The leaves began to change from green to yellow, **

**followed by orange, then red, and finally brown.**

**Nights became longer. **

**Days shorter.**

**This was to be a frosty autumn.**

Liesel had just left class and was headed towards the bookstore. It was a cute little shop in the middle of two other buildings-a café and the post office. It seemed to be the perfect set up.

Liesel enjoyed the rhythm of her day. Each day was the same. Wake up. Breakfast. Class. Store. Café. Home. Wait. After work she would bring a book to the café next door to the bookstore. She drank the same coffee and had her own table by the window. The gentle hum of her routine gave her a little kind of solace-or a distraction if you will-from the agonizing waiting and the unknown that she went home to every night.

Every night she would wait the nightmares. There was no escaping her. She has been haunted by the dead since she was nine. However, one soul that haunts her is not dead.

**. . . . . .**

Let's catch up with our other friend, Max Vandenburg. After the war, Max spent a year looking for his family.

*****A SAD FACT ABOUT MAX'S FAMILY*****

**Mrs. Vandenburg's soul practically floated into my arms. She had been ready for me for years.**

**Walter Kugler died in Stalingrad, but not because of the war. He had died of consumption.**

**Max's uncle, Aunt Ruth, and cousins were all sent to a concentration camp.**

**The little ones were gassed. Max's uncle and Aunt Ruth worked. And Isaac (the cousin who taught Max to fight) was shot by a Nazi guard when attempting to escape.**

Unfortunately I couldn't tell Max to cut his losses and stop looking before he found out the truth. It would have spared him a lot of pain. It took a long time for him to recover. But when he did, he set out to find the rest of his family at Himmel Street.

He was devastated. Himmel Street no longer existed. Himmel Street was rebuilt, but the people who made it Heaven were no longer there. Max had asked around, looking for the Hubermanns and Liesel. He was told anyone who lived there prior to the bombing was now dead, there were no survivors. Oh, how I wanted to reach out and comfort him. Tell him there was one survivor, the one who meant most to him. But I couldn't. Sometimes I hate my job.

Five years after the devastating news of the destruction of Himmel Street, Max was doing alright for himself. He tried to pick up the pieces of his life. He didn't fight to survive during the war only to die when it was over. He had a job at a shoe factory. He lived in an apartment three miles away from Himmel Street. He wasn't happy, but he made do. The year was 1953.

The day was a cold, windy autumn day. Max had decided to go for a walk around town. Autumn was his favorite season. He liked watching the leaves change color. He liked the change in weather. Not too hot, not too cold.

As he was walking, he came across Steiner Tailors. _Steiner _Max thought to himself. He stopped walking as thoughts of his time in the basement with Liesel abruptly paralyzed him. He remembered the name Rudy _Steiner _being thrown around during his stay at 33 Himmel_. _Those memories compelled him to walk into the store. Maybe, just maybe, this was the key to finding Liesel Meminger.

Inside the warm store, a small man with gray hair and glasses looked up from his position at the front counter. Years had worn this man down. Once the man stood tall at 6'1, now he's nothing more than a 5'9 man with a limp. The limp came from a recent foot injury. His thinning gray hair danced as the door opened and brought in a gust a wind. Shivering, he hunkered down in his red sweater. "May I help you?" he asked.

"Alex Steiner?" Max questioned.

Alex Steiner stood up straighter. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

Max ignored the man's question and asked his own. "Did you have a son named Rudy Steiner who lived on Himmel Street during World War II?"

Alex's eyes grew wide. His heart beat accelerated. "Yes," he said. He swallowed hard before continuing. "He died in the Himmel Street bombing. What do you want with my son?"

Max, realizing he had made the man feel uncomfortable, quickly apologized. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. My name is Max Vandenburg. I used to know the Hubermanns. I know Liesel used to be friends with Rudy. I was wondering if you knew what happened to the Hubermanns. Did they survive the bombing?"

Alex Steiner's eyes grew wide, but for a different reason. Liesel told Alex all about Max Vandenburg. She had looked for him for years. Liesel would be so happy. "Hans and Rosa died. Liesel was the only survivor."

"Liesel?" Max asked. "Liesel, survived?"

Alex nodded.

"I was told there were no survivors," Max said to himself. On the outside he was confused. On the inside he was jumping for joy. Someone from his family survived! He isn't alone! He had to find her. "Do you know where she is now?"

Alex smiled. "Yes. Right about now she should be across the street."


	3. Chapter 3

Liesel was no longer a little girl. She was now a beautiful woman. Her long blonde curls were now cut neatly to lightly brush her shoulders. Her skin was like porcelain. Her brown eyes glitter when she smiles. Liesel Meminger is the type of woman that made men break their necks from trying to get a good look at her. She was a vision of beauty.

As Liesel opened the door to the bookstore, she felt like she was being watched. With a quick glance behind her shoulder, she opened the door and walked into the warmth of the store. Book shelves lined the walls around her. Rows of books occupied the space in the center of the room. In the left corner of the room by the glass window sat the checkout counter. From there you could see the street in its entirety. Including Steiner Tailors.

Liesel walked slowly down a row of books closest to the counter. As she walked, she touched each and every book deliberately. She had read almost every book in the store. At least ten of them were committed to memory. She had even memorized the publication date. Her favorite book was _The Great Gatsby _by F. Scott Fitzgerald published in 1925. She was amazed that a novel could also be considered poetry. The words seemed to flow in song, a song she pictured Hans Hubermann playing.

Her favorite character, Jay Gatsby reminded her a lot of herself. Gatsby was the most hopeful person she had ever read about. Like Gatsby, she had hope for the unattainable. Gatsby wanted Daisy, and Liesel wanted Max.

After all these years, Alex Steiner and Frau Hermann had given up on believing Max was still alive. They never said it out loud, but Liesel knew. She was no longer a child. She could tell the truth from a lie.

But she stayed hopeful. She would never stop looking for Max. Gatsby's hope manifested in a green light. Liesel's manifested itself in hair that looked like feathers.

Liesel finally made her way to the back of the store. She opened the door to the backroom. When inside, she took off her coat and placed it on her designated hook. Walking back out, she closed the door softly behind her. As she began walking to the front counter, a fellow employee greeted her. "Liesel! Can you put these books on that shelf over there?" The girl pointed to an empty shelf in the center of the room. "Thanks!"

Liesel took the armful of books from her coworker. In the distance, she could hear the peal of bells as they clung to the opened door. Liesel started organizing the books onto the shelf as a tall, dark man slowly walked to the shelf opposite of Liesel. The man's walk and posture did not match the way he looked. He was tall and dark, and impossibly skinny. He looked strong. His walk and posture however told a different story. He walked like a timid little boy. His posture was poor. He was hunched over. His legs did not stand strong and sturdy under him. He looked scared. Something about him seemed familiar to Liesel.

Before Liesel could ask the man if he needed help, he quickly walked to another bookshelf and started perusing those books. Liesel shrugged to herself and placed the last book on the shelf. She then began walking to the empty front desk. Liesel stood there only a few seconds before a man clearing his throat alerted her. It was the same man from the book shelf earlier. The man's eyes were pleading, but his face was determined. Liesel began to make a connection in her brain when suddenly the man spoke. "I'm looking for a word shaker."


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the long wait. Work was pretty hectic. **

**. . . .**

**Before Liesel could ask the man if he needed help, he quickly walked to another bookshelf and started perusing those books. Liesel shrugged to herself and placed the last book on the shelf. She then began walking to the empty front desk. Liesel stood there only a few seconds before a man clearing his throat alerted her. It was the same man from the book shelf earlier. The man's eyes were pleading, but his face was determined. Liesel began to make a connection in her brain when suddenly the man spoke. "I'm looking for a word shaker."**

*****A SMALL FACT*****

**Liesel hadn't been called a word shaker in years.**

Liesel's eyes bugged out of her head, her mouth agape. She looked like a fish blubbing in the ocean the way she opened and closed her mouth. It was like she was seeing a ghost. "Excuse me?" Liesel was surprised by the scared tone in her voice. She quickly cleared her throat and said, "What did you say?"

Max attempted a smile.He was afraid he had the wrong woman. Surely Liesel would have understood what a word shaker was_. _"Are you Liesel Meminger?"Liesel nodded. His smile widened. "I'm Max Vandenberg."

"I know," Liesel whispered. "I thought you were dead."

Max's smile dropped from his face. "I thought you were dead too. They told me there were no survivors at Himmel."

Liesel's eyes started to water. Liesel hasn't cried in public in years. She learned to harden herself so as not to appear weak; a trait she learned from Rosa. In time of trouble, Liesel was the one you counted on to lead you out of the storm. "How did you find me?"

Max sighed. "I feel guilty. I didn't try looking for you for a year after I was liberated from Dachau. I came back to 33 Himmel, and no one was there. I was told you were dead. So I stopped looking. I didn't even consider you being alive until I saw Steiner's Tailors across the street. Mr. Steiner told me where you were."

Suddenly Liesel felt scared and trapped. Visions of her past started to weigh heavily on her. An accordionist. Hair like lemons. A Jewish fist fighter. A boy with a chronic ear infection. Saumensch. A library. A woman whose two sons died. _The Grave Digger's Handbook._ Some words. A siren. And finally colors. Red. White. Black. It was too much. "If you're here to repay me for keeping you in my basement, you're debt is no more. My family saved your life, and you have saved mine. You inspired me to write my own stories, and so I did. I was writing in the basement when the bombs dropped."

Max's face twisted in confusion. "I'm not here to repay any debt. I wanted to find you. You're the only family I have left."

"I'm sorry," Liesel said. She pushed past Max and started fast walking to the back room. "It's too much," she said over her shoulder. "It hurts too much to remember. I'd appreciate it if you left and never came back. Have a nice day, sir."

Max followed close behind Liesel. "I know it's a lot to take in. It hurts me too. But you don't need to run from the past."

"I'm not running," Liesel said as she closed the door behind her.

Max lightly knocked on the door. "Liesel." Liesel pressed her back against the door and sunk to the floor, her head between her knees. "Just answer me one thing. Are you still a word shaker?"

"Yes," Liesel said softly. She didn't move until she heard Max's footsteps walk away. She lifted her head and said to herself "I need to visit Alex Steiner after work. He'll know exactly what to do." Liesel didn't see the piece of paper with Max's address that was slipped underneath the door.

**In this chapter Liesel seems kind of out of character. At the end of the book, Liesel was happy to see Max again. This however, is a new Liesel. This Liesel is a grown woman who has faced some hard times after losing everything. She went through a lot of pain and has tried to "harden" herself like Rosa. Liesel is still a sweet girl, and isn't nearly as mean as Rosa. After experiencing everything she went through, Liesel is a little more cautious. In the next chapter Alex Steiner is going to help her decide if she wants to go down that road again and relive all of that pain. **


	5. Chapter 5

*****FOR SOME COMFORT*****

**Max Vandenberg did not give up. **

**He waited for Liesel. **

**This would not be the last time he would wait patiently for her.**

Now, Liesel didn't immediately seek out Max. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. And soon it would be a year before Max would hear anything from Liesel. I'm getting ahead of myself now. I'll spoil the ending if I'm not careful.

After her shift at the bookstore, Liesel skipped coffee. Instead she ran across the street to Steiner's Tailors.

Alex Steiner expected her arrival.

Liesel went on and on for up to an hour about Max.

"I was very happy with my life as it was, thank you."

"He symbolizes all the memories I don't want to remember."

"If I do speak to him, what would I say? How was life in Dachau? What do you enjoy to do when you're not hiding from the Nazis?"

"Seeing him stand there in the flesh makes all of those memories real again."

And that was only a few things said.

Alex silently listened. When Liesel was finally finished, Alex began to speak. "Both Max and I symbolize Himmel Street. He was a Jew you helped hide. I was the father of your childhood friend. What makes our friendship any different?"

Liesel stopped her pacing and thought. What did make their friendship different? Was it because Alex is like a father figure? Is it because Liesel didn't know Alex on a personal level during her stay on Himmel Street? Or is it because Alex was gone when her life changed forever? "Maybe I was able to accept you back into my life because we didn't have a close relationship at the time. When I saw Max, all of my memories of reading to him when he was sick or the snowman we built in the basement all came back. When I see you, I do remember Rudy and Hans. But it's different. It's just a reminder. With Max it's more like a flashback."

"Maybe what you need to move on is a flashback. How are your nightmares?"

"The same every night," Liesel said. "They won't leave me alone."

"You still haven't healed yet. You used to face the hurt head-on when you were a child. Now that you're grown up, you've chosen to forget."

Liesel sighed. She knew Alex was right. "I want to be normal and be a normal adult. I want to move past my childhood and move forward."

"You must face your fears from your childhood before you can move forward. Don't forget, come to peace. Talking to Max will help you move on. Maybe then your nightmares will go away. Maybe both of you are having the same nightmares."

Liesel remembered the nightmares she used to have about her brother. Max used to have nightmares about his family. Talking to each other about it made the nightmares go away. Liesel knew what she must do. "But, how do I find him? I don't know where he lives. I don't know where he works. I might have just lost him for good."

"He found you once, he can find you again."

Alex Steiner was usually always right. This was not one of those times.


End file.
